Mr. Simon Mafunda, the Wesleyan Covenant Association’s Africa Coordinator, will address the WCA’s Sixth Global Gathering – More Than Conquerors – in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
“Simon is a gifted, wise, and articulate ambassador for Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette, WCA President. “It has been my privilege to work with him over the past several years, and particularly this past year as he stepped into the role of the WCA’s Africa Coordinator. He is widely known by United Methodists across Africa, and now around the world. He is a humble and passionate leader who will help lead faithful Methodists forward to a new day. We’re delighted that Simon will be traveling from Zimbabwe to join us in Indianapolis for our Sixth Global Gathering!”
At More Than Conquerors, Mafunda will take at his text the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 17 through 21, as he focuses on how Jesus empowers disciples to do more than they could ever imagine.
Born and raised in the Mutasa District in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe, Mafunda is a life-long United Methodist who has served at all levels of the denomination. The Zimbabwe East Annual Conference elected him a delegate to the 2012 and 2016 General Conferences. By virtue of his 2016 election, he also represented his conference at the 2019 special General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. He is also a member of the UM Church’s Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, and for 13 years he has served as his conference’s lay leader.
“One of the greatest challenges for Methodists in Africa is simply connecting with one another,” said Mafunda. “I’m afraid it’s easy for people in other parts of the world to think of Africa as one big country sharing one language, when in fact it a vast continent of many nations speaking many languages, but as Christians and Methodists we share many things in common. We know we must work together to overcome the challenges we face so we can continue to share the good news and make more disciples of Jesus Christ.”
In addition to official UM Church positions, Mafunda is also a leading member of Africa Initiative, a clergy and lay movement that promotes Bible teaching and fidelity to the great confessions of the faith. The organization also brings together General Conference delegates from countries across the continent to grapple with issues confronting Africa and the general church.
“Simon is an exceptional leader,” said the Rev. Forbes Matonga, a pastor in the Zimbabwe West Annual Conference and a member of the WCA Global Leadership Council. “He is a man of deep faith in Jesus, and a humble and wise lay leader respected throughout Africa. His faith is rooted in the Bible and the great teachings of Christianity. He is my colleague and personal friend whom I trust because of his integrity and dedication to Christ’s church.”
Hannah, Mafunda’s wife is a nurse, and they have been married for 30 years. They have two adult children, their son Tatenda, 29, and their daughter Tanya, 26. Tanya blessed her parents with her daughter Lala, 7, their only grandchild.
Simon and Hannah attend the Chisipiti UM Church in Harare, where they have been members for 22 years.
More Than Conquerors, the WCA’s Sixth Global Gathering, will be held at Kingsway Christian Church with seating for 1,260 people. People wanting to attend the gathering at the host site should register as soon as possible. In addition to the host site there will be numerous simulcast sites across the United States where people can also participate in the WCA’s Sixth Global Gathering.
To learn much more about the gathering and to register to attend, visit More Than Conquerors online.